IMPORTANT
Please
see the announcement about the
MAY 2000
reunion
Hark! What light through yonder window breaks?
Shakespeare must have had us in mind
when he penned those immortal words. I believe he must have predicted
the light of brilliance shining through the west wall of St. George's
Church at RAF Halton.
The memorial window to the 95th
Entry of Aircraft Apprentices is a fitting tribute to the men whose
motto was, and still is, Qualitas Non Quantitas.
Gentlemen, I am proud to announce
that your donations amounted to the staggering sum of £1,125, which
allowed for our window to be installed in St. George's Church in
September 1998.
The actual cost of installation was
only £630 so the committee has decided to use the surplus to place an
additional window in the topmost section of the west wall. This is not
a full frame but it will allow the 95th memorial to occupy the very
pinnacle in the whole wall - where we naturally deserve to be.
The RAFHAAA Council launched a major
frontal attack against our window in late April 1999. We were told
that it was going to be removed from its location in favour of another
depicting Lord Trenchard, despite any argument we offered. At no stage
were we consulted. This resulted in yours truly writing a very strong
letter of protest, copied to various dignitaries including the RAFHAAA
Patron.
To cut a long story short they
decided to abort their plans and leave our window alone but they
invited me to "consider my continued membership of the
Association". I will tell you the outcome when we meet at the
reunion in May.
Bill Thornley and I attended the
80th anniversary celebrations at Halton on 26th June and we can
confirm that our window remains in its prominent position - with that
depicting Lord Trenchard immediately below it. A victory certainly,
but at a price! I imagine that my standing with the RAFHAAA is now
somewhat depleted.
We met up with the stalwarts of such
events, Dave Kennett & Rob Johnson. Rob has put an advertisement
on CEEFAX in order to try to find colleagues who are still missing.
Well done, Rob.
SYCAMORE HELICOPTER - WT933
Returning home on Sunday 27th June,
I detoured a little to visit Newark Air Museum to check up on our
chopper. It's still there, in the hanger protected from the elements,
with its rotor blades folded in retirement - pretty much like more and
more of us. Tempus Fugit!
REUNIONS
13th - 14th May 2000
40 years from our attestation on
17th May 1960 a reunion has been arranged for the weekend of 13/14th
May 2000. The primary purpose of this event will be the service of
dedication for the memorial window at St. George's Church, RAF Halton
on Sunday 14th. On Saturday 12th May there will be an evening meal at
the Rose and Crown Hotel, Tring. There is no charge for the service of
dedication but the cost of the meal on Saturday will be approximately
£20:00 per head. Please use the attached pro-forma to confirm your
attendance and return it to either Bill Thornley or myself with your
payment.
Bed and breakfast accommodation is available at the
hotel for £50 single or £80 double.
(A reduction will be made for a 2-night stay.)
Alternative accommodation is available at the
"Crows Nest" Travel Lodge Motel for £40 per double room.
Breakfast at the adjoining "Beefeater Pub" is £5:75.
Please book directly with the
hotels.
01442 - 824819
Rose and Crown
01442 - 824071
Details of other places to stay can
also be obtained from Wendover Tourist Information Centre.
If you are only coming to the
service on Sunday please let us know so that we can send you an
itinerary.
April 2003
This is the next biggie - 40 years
from Graduation. Watch this spot! It seems that Halton is the
preferred area so we are basing our enquiries around there. It will
take a similar format as for 1993 at the Spread Eagle, Thame and/or
1998 at Leeds. A full weekend is anticipated with possibly some
entertainment laid on (which will inevitably push up the price). More
details when they are available. Start saving your pennies now!
ENTRY BADGE
The last Newsletter had a request for proposals for
a new entry badge, since no one can recall the original. (The only
detail I remember is our motto). To date, we have three designs - and
two of those are mine!
Come on, chaps; switch on the grey matter and start
sketching - we have the technology available to make a reasonable
facsimile by computer.
95th ENTRY ASSOCIATION
Those that responded to the first newsletter are all
in favour of forming an association.
Does anyone know what is involved and can anybody
give us some advice? This will be an agenda item at 2003 reunion. It
will also be necessary to elect some principals to run it. Any
volunteers?
To date we have had nearly 800 visitors to our site
but, unfortunately, only a few have signed the visitor's book. When
you visit, please sign the book.
OVERSEAS MEMBERS
I am very pleased to announce that
we now have an "Overseas Members" secretary in the form of
Tony Dapre. Tony can be contacted at:
11, Yanco Close,
French's Forrest,
2086 NSW,
Australia.
Tel:
0061294524253
Fax:
0061294523083
Those of you who qualify will have
received this newsletter from him, cheers mate.
ENTRY DATABASE
An Entry Data list can be supplied
on request. A4 SAE please. There will be some available at the 2000
reunion.
I ask everyone to contact their
friends who have not yet responded to coerce them into doing so.
Otherwise, we are in danger of losing contact.
We are still hoping to find the
friends who are missing, Hopefully the web site and CEEFAX might
achieve this.
Qualitas
non Quantitas.
Alf Banyard
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